


Protection

by Edoraslass



Series: Under My Wing [16]
Category: The Lord of the Rings - All Media Types
Genre: Domestic workers are my favourite OCs, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-03-13
Updated: 2015-03-13
Packaged: 2018-03-17 14:44:19
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,115
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3533243
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Edoraslass/pseuds/Edoraslass
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>In Which Nanny Holds Her Ground</p>
            </blockquote>





	Protection

  
“Watch, Nanny! Watch me!”  
  
Boromir’s newest skill was performing somersaults, and I obediently watched as he rolled over the grass and practically into my lap. “Very good!” I cheered, smiling at the delighted grin on his face. “You will have to show your mother and father when they come to bid you good-night.”  
  
“I should practice!” he declared, and put words to action while I began packing up the luncheon basket. He had eaten quite a lot, but I did not worry about him making himself sick with all the tumbling; it would take more than a little shaking about to upset Boromir’s stomach.  
  
“Good afternoon, Master Boromir, miss.”  
  
I looked up at the unfamiliar voice. There stood a stocky man in well-worn leathers, smiling broadly at my duckling, who was now staggering dizzily toward me. The man was older than Lord Denethor, with short graying hair, and I did not remember ever having seen him before. That was no true matter – anyone could come into the Houses’ gardens, and Boromir was known by sight to many in this part of Minas Tirith.  
  
“Good afternoon,” I returned neutrally, standing and picking up the picnic blanket.   
  
“Master Boromir is to come with me,” the man said, and I looked sharply at him. “He is to start his introductory swordsmanship lessons today.”  
  
I studied the man, even as Boromir gasped in delight. “I get to learn swords?”  
  
“Yes, indeed,” the man chuckled, and he took a step toward Boromir, but I moved to take Boromir’s hand.  
  
“I am afraid you are mistaken,” I said, my heart starting to beat a little more strongly. “I have had no such instruction from the Lord Denethor. What was your name?”  
  
The man blinked at me. “I am Alhael,” he replied, as if I was insulting him by asking. “And Lord Denethor has instructed me to begin Master Boromir’s training.”  
  
I pulled Boromir closer, wondering if there were any guards within shouting distance. “Have you some proof of this?”  
  
Now Alhael definitely looked insulted. “I have Lord Denethor’s orders, miss,” he said, frowning severely. “That is all the proof I need.”  
  
I clenched my jaw. “That is not enough for me.”  
  
Alhael gaped at me. “Pardon?”  
  
“ _Lord_ Boromir is in my care,” I said, stressing the title which I never used, “and he will not be going anywhere with someone who is not known to me without explicit instruction from my lord or lady.” I was angry - if this man’s words were truthful, then why had the Lord Denethor not alerted me? But fear was stronger - I was certain that Lord Denethor _would_ have informed me of such a change in Boromir’s schedule, and I did not quite believe that a four-year-old boy was old enough to begin learning the way of the sword. I wondered how fast I could run while carrying Boromir – he was too heavy to carry very far, but then, we only had to reach the Houses.  
  
“I don’t get to go?” Boromir was clearly disappointed. “But if Father said…”  
  
“Your lord father did not tell me, Boromir,” I said, trying to be sympathetic, but it was difficult. “We will speak to him later about this, but right now, you are not going with this man.”  
  
“But, Nanny…”  
  
“ _Boromir_.” I had not meant to be so curt with him, but I did not have the time or inclination to argue with him, not when Alhael’s narrow-eyed gaze was making me so uneasy.  
  
He heaved a sigh, then, to my surprise, turned to Alhael. “Nanny says I can’t go with you, but I will ask Father later.”  
  
The shock on the man’s face would have been funny in other circumstances. Alhael looked both of us up and down, and finally said, “I shall inform Lord Denethor of your actions.”  
  
“Please do.” I did not manage to keep from snapping, and was filled with relief when Alhael turned and stalked out of the gardens.   
  
“I wanted to learn swords,” Boromir said wistfully. “Do you think Father will let me?”   
  
“He will,” I assured him as I began to fold the blanket, my heart resuming its normal pace. “When you are a little older. Come, will you help me carry these things in?”  
  


~*~

  
  
We had been back in the nursery for less than an hour when Lady Finduilas entered. She did not come by every day, but such visits were common enough that I thought nothing of it.  
  
“Mother!” Boromir exclaimed happily, running across the room to her. “We had a picnic today, and this man….”  
  
“Boromir,” I said quietly and wonder of wonders, he fell silent. “Lady, I would tell you – “  
  
Lady Finduilas glanced at me as she picked up her son. “Lord Denethor wishes to speak with you in his office,” she said. “I will stay here with Boromir.”  
  
There was something odd in her expression. If I had not known better, I would have said it was amusement, but I did not know what the lady would find amusing about me being summoned to Lord Denethor’s office. “Yes, my lady,” I replied, trying not to stammer.   
  


~*~

  
  
Lord Denethor sat at his desk, and Alhael was standing slightly behind him. My heart dropped. So he had been telling the truth. Oh, no.   
  
“I would like you to explain why you refused to let Swordsmaster Alhael carry out my orders to him,” Lord Denethor said abruptly. It was obvious that he was very angry with me.   
  
Just like that, my nervousness vanished. He was angry with me? Well, I was no less angry with him. Why would he not have let me know of this? Surely he did not think that I was so negligent as to send his son off with a total stranger? Oh, I was going to have a struggle keeping my speech respectful.   
  
I took a steadying breath. “I am not in the habit of allowing Boromir to be taken by people who are not known to me, my lord.” That had really been too impertinent, and Lord Denethor thought so, too, by the way his eyebrows shot upwards.  
  
Then he surprised me by saying only, “Go on.”  
  
I searched for a less insolent way to phrase myself. “I have never seen Swordmaster Alhael before today; he did not offer his name until I asked for it, and he did not offer his rank at all. And I had no word from you, my lord, or my lady, that Boromir would be starting new lessons today.”  
  
Lord Denethor was quiet, while Alhael continued to glare at me as if I were a stableboy who had ruined his sister’s honour. “And am I to inform you of every plan I may have for my son?”   
  
_Yes_ , I wanted to say, but instead replied, “Of course not, my lord. Only those which require me to turn the care of Boromir over to a stranger.”   
  
There went the eyebrows again. _Why_ could I not keep a rein on my tongue? “You are saying that my word is not to be obeyed when it comes through a member of Gondor’s army?”  
  
“I did not know he was a member of Gondor’s army, my lord,” I said, choosing my words with more care, for if I did not, I was quite likely to say something which would warrant my immediate removal. “He was dressed as you see him now, with no device of Gondor or your house upon him. He is a stranger to me, and any stranger can say ‘these are Lord Denethor’s orders’. And anyone may enter the Gardens of the Houses, my lord. It is as public a place as the markets.”   
  
Something shifted in Lord Denethor’s eyes. “If he had worn such a device, would you have agreed to send Boromir with him?”  
  
“No, my lord,” I said firmly. “Any man or women who has some skill with a needle can sew a mark of heraldry.” I had embroidered the swan of Dol Amroth many times, on doll clothing and on tiny banners for my brothers’ toy soldiers.   
  
Interestingly, Alhael now seemed to be less offended. I wondered why, but I was too anxious as to how Lord Denethor might react to my words to dwell upon it.  
  
“So you did not allow Boromir to go with Alhael because he did not wear the mark of the Tower, and because he was not known to you?” Lord Denethor’s eyes were steady on me, and I repressed the urge to fidget.   
  
“I did not allow Boromir to go with him because I had no word from you or my lady that it was to be allowed,” I corrected, as expressionlessly as I could. It was not easy; I had already answered the question, quite clearly, and I did not see the point in Lord Denethor asking again.  
  
“Would you have allowed Boromir to go had you known Alhael? If Hirvegil had come bearing the same orders?”   
  
I thought it over for a moment. “I would not,” I said finally. “I would have accompanied Boromir wherever Hirvegil had led us, but I would not have allowed him to go alone. Or I would have sent a note requesting your instruction on the matter.”  
  
I was startled when satisfaction glimmered briefly in Lord Denethor’s eyes, and suddenly I wondered if this entire situation had been a test.  
  
“Very well,” Lord Denethor said after a pause. “It seems you had good reason to deny Alhael, and I cannot fault your reasoning. You may return to your duties.”  
  
I made no move to leave, for the issue which had started this whole incident had not been addressed. Lord Denethor looked at me with a hint of impatience. “Yes?”  
  
“ _Is_ Boromir to have lessons from Swordsmaster Alhael?”   
  
Alhael glanced swiftly at his feet, but not before I saw him grinning. “He is,” Lord Denethor nodded, and I could not decide what the expression on his face meant. “Have you any other questions?”   
  
It was probably supposed to be rhetorical, but I still took the opportunity to consider – Lord Denethor seemed in an oddly receptive mood, and there was no telling when I might get such a chance again. “No, my lord,” I said finally, and withdrew when he bade me do so.  
  


~*~

  
  
Lady Finduilas was sitting alone on at the table, reading, when I returned. “Boromir has just fallen asleep,” she said. “He was very excited to hear about his new lessons.”  
  
“He is only four,” I said before I could stop myself. Lady Finduilas was far more approachable that her lord husband – I would never have said such a thing to him. “Is he really going to begin to learn to fight already?”  
  
Lady Finduilas did not seem to like the idea any more than I did, if I was interpreting the look on her face correctly. “The younger he begins to learn, the more certain he will be in his abilities,” she said. “My brother started his training at this age, as did my lord husband. Little ones learn more quickly. And I am assured that he will be learning only footwork and such things – he will not have even a wooden sword until he is five years old.”   
  
I supposed it made sense; children learned much more easily than adults, but I did not like to think of Boromir having to learn such a thing. I did not want to think of him as a full-grown man in battle. He still had trouble tying his bootlaces.   
  
Her smile told me that she was in complete understanding of my reaction, and I wondered how _she_ had reacted upon hearing of this new step in Boromir’s life.   
  
Lady Finduilas stood. “I think that Boromir will dine with us tonight,” she said. “If you will have him ready at the proper hour?”  
  
“Yes, my lady,” I replied, bobbing a curtsey. She smiled at me, again with that trace of amusement in her eyes, and I realized that, if this had been a test, Lady Finduilas had apparently been confident of my reaction. It soothed my annoyance only a little; surely I had proven my willingness to protect Boromir during the incident with Lord Turos. And while I was sorely tempted to ask her if this _had_ been a test, I had been forward enough for one day.  
  


~*~

  
  
Later that evening, a page delivered a note with Lord Denethor’s seal and signature: _Boromir shall being lessoning with Swordsmaster Alhael tomorrow, mid-morning, and will do so twice a week until further notice._   
  
I stared at the note for a moment, almost smiling. I had not realized that Lord Denethor had a sense of humour.


End file.
